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From atheist to believer....from believer to atheist

  • dwccrew
    The town trolling thread got me interested in hearing from people on why they went from being an atheist to a believer. I also am interested to hear how people have went from believer to atheist. And if you don't fall into either category, meaning you have either believed your entire life or been an atheist your entire life, I'd like to hear your thoughts as well. I don't believe much, if any, of the Bible or any religious text is true, but I believe there is a higher power of some sort. Call it God, Buddha, aliens, whatever you want.

    Just your personal opinions' on it, let's see if we can have a rational discussion, although I am cautiously optimistic about it.
  • BORIStheCrusher
    I grew up and went to catholic schools but rarely went to church. God/religion wasn't a big part of my life outside of school, but I assumed there was a God and believed a lot of the bible since that's what I was taught. As I'm older now; logic and reasoning has made me believe this not to be true. I can't say for sure I'm right, but it's what makes sense. If believing in god helps someone be a better person then I think that's good because I think the overall message is good, but I don't need to go to church and read the bible to know I should be a good person.
  • HitsRus
    Grew up Catholic...went thru an agnostic phase...but have long since returned to the church as a vehicle to my spiritualism. I like to describe myself as a "Zen Catholic"...owing to influences from the Brothers of the Holy Cross and the Benedictine's. A lot of people rip on the Church, but it stands firm as one, if not the only, remaining institution that resists the dehumanizing, secular, utilitarian march of today's culture and world.
    I'm sure someone will come on here and list the fallabilities of some the people who lead it....but that fallability is attributed to the human aspect of those people, not from the universal truth that comes from the Creator.

    Have a wonderful day.
  • mcburg93
    Was taught about the bible growing up. I dont believe in anything church related. There might be a god, I personally have no reason to believe there is. I believe more in aliens creating the earth then I do in god.
  • sleeper
    dwccrew;1156765 wrote:The town trolling thread got me interested in hearing from people on why they went from being an atheist to a believer. I also am interested to hear how people have went from believer to atheist. And if you don't fall into either category, meaning you have either believed your entire life or been an atheist your entire life, I'd like to hear your thoughts as well. I don't believe much, if any, of the Bible or any religious text is true, but I believe there is a higher power of some sort. Call it God, Buddha, aliens, whatever you want.

    Just your personal opinions' on it, let's see if we can have a rational discussion, although I am cautiously optimistic about it.
    Grew up a Christian/Catholic and didn't pay attention in class so I don't know the difference(or care). Went to church twice a week until I went to high school, then once a month. Went to college and stopped going into church; then stopped believing all together. Did some reading on the subject and became vehemently angry regarding all the lies I was told my whole life to believe in something as intellectually degrading and cult-like as religion.

    Now I'm trying to get other people to free their minds so to speak, while still fighting the issue of breaking the news to my parents that religion is a scam. I'm sure I will one day. Until then, I will continue my quest for a religion free world and an ignorance free world; which are not mutually exclusive.
  • said_aouita
    I was taught by penguins as a child, back when being beaten with a yard stick and spankings were normal.
    Later in life I was ignorant enough to attend a private Christian college only because of athletics.
    The college actually took attendance at church. You HAD to attend the schools church. You'd even see young adults waving their arms in the air, crying.

    Quite disturbing, those believers.

    mcburg93;1156830 wrote: There might be a god, I personally have no reason to believe there is. I believe more in aliens creating the earth then I do in god.
    I believe more in aliens visiting earth than I do in God.
  • pmoney25
    Grew up a Catholic, went to church occasionally. Believed there was a God and left it at that. Then around Jr year of High School started becoming more and more agnostic then finally going to full out Atheism around Sr year of High School. The main reason I became an Atheist was because I just was tired of being told to believe in God because the Bible said so. So I went through the typical Militant Atheist stage where I pointed out random contradictions in the Bible and called people names and basically said they were fools. After awhile I realized that this was A) Not a good way to treat people and B) not a real intellectual way to debate people. So I started doing more and more research on both sides of the fence. Went to atheist meetings and Bible Study meetings. Did a lot of reading and speaking with different people. After three or four years of doing that. I started becoming more and more of a believer and now I am a Christian. I still have questions and I still look for answers but I am confident in my faith.

    That's it in a nutshell. Would take pages to talk about it all but that is my journey to where I am now.
  • Heretic
    Never really believed. I've gone to a couple churches in my life as part of "maintaining appearances" with family or relationships, but never had any moment where I felt...anything. Neither with the "we wuv everyone; c'mon in!" style of Methodists or the "you have to adhere to a strict code at all times" style of the Witnesses. Some people I've talked to are devout in their faith and others, I get the idea that church-type stuff is more an obligation they "should" do for whatever reason. Never felt like the first group and being like the second is a waste of my time.

    I can believe in the possibility of A higher power. I don't know how stuff got created or any of that. One explanation is as good as another, I guess. Where I have the problem is...we're one planet of millions and millions; we've had thousands of gods in hundreds of religions over time; we still have a good number of faiths; the one that people on this site claim is "the one" has many, many branches and spin-offs which all have their differences in how they teach they word. Apparently the concept of "having faith" is essentially the same as being blindfolded and reaching into a big jar of M&Ms to grab the one and only green one.
  • dlazz
    sleeper;1156832 wrote:Grew up a Christian/Catholic and didn't pay attention in class so I don't know the difference(or care). Went to church twice a week until I went to high school, then once a month. Went to college and stopped going into church; then stopped believing all together. Did some reading on the subject and became vehemently angry regarding all the lies I was told my whole life to believe in something as intellectually degrading and cult-like as religion.

    Now I'm trying to get other people to free their minds so to speak, while still fighting the issue of breaking the news to my parents that religion is a scam. I'm sure I will one day. Until then, I will continue my quest for a religion free world and an ignorance free world; which are not mutually exclusive.
    This is one of the most serious posts I've ever seen out of sleeper.

    reps

    Also, I am a non-believer. My mom is upset by it, my dad probably doesn't know/care since he was never religious himself and it has never been brought up.

    Personally, I think Churches weird me out. I feel uncomfortable in them.

    I am also a strong believer that they should be taxed like anyone else.
  • sjmvsfscs08
    I believe the universe had to have come from somewhere. Just the definition of eternity and wondering where the atoms came from, or the subatomic particles come from, or what the Big Bang was--or what was before it--leaves up a huge possibility of a supreme being.

    I don't believe in church, or organized religion.

    I do believe aliens visited wayyy back in the day.
  • ernest_t_bass
    This guy was a pastor for 25 years, and turned atheist.

    http://brucegerencser.net/
  • j_crazy
    I turn a straight prude bitch into a nudist.
  • I Wear Pants
    Raised Catholic, went to mass every Sunday and all the special masses and such. Was an altar server and in youth group and such. Didn't have a bad time with that either as I really like the congregation of my church since they're really nice people and even all the priests we've had have been very cool (you can make a joke here I guess).

    I guess I just grew out of it. The more I came to understand science and the more I read the Bible as an adult reader (capable of fully understanding what it was saying) the more I came to believe that a deity was unlikely and further that if there is a deity it is almost certainly not the god of the Bible.
  • Belly35
    Sad ..........very very sad
  • I Wear Pants
    Belly35;1157259 wrote:Sad ..........very very sad
    Please elaborate.
  • Footwedge
    Until someone can explain to me how the ball got rolling in the first place from a physiological view, I will always believe in a Supreme Being.

    If that day comes, I will immediately commit suicide, because if no eternal afterlife, there is really no purpose in being here.
  • I Wear Pants
    Footwedge;1157273 wrote:Until someone can explain to me how the ball got rolling in the first place from a physiological view, I will always believe in a Supreme Being.

    If that day comes, I will immediately commit suicide, because if no eternal afterlife, there is really no purpose in being here.
    This seems like, using today's nomenclature, a spectacularly retarded standpoint.

    Why do you need an eternal afterlife or some great "point/purpose"? There being no eternal afterlife actually gives greater importance to our lives. This tiny speck of time that we share with the others who are around right now is all we get, that's it. When you take that point of view it seems absolutely silly to waste it doing anything but trying to be the best person you can and enjoying the ride which if more people took that view the world would be a better place.
  • sleeper
    Footwedge;1157273 wrote:Until someone can explain to me how the ball got rolling in the first place from a physiological view, I will always believe in a Supreme Being.

    If that day comes, I will immediately commit suicide, because if no eternal afterlife, there is really no purpose in being here.
    If all you are interested in is eternal afterlife, then why don't you kill yourself?

    Such a hypocrite.
  • Pick6
    sleeper;1157303 wrote:If all you are interested in is eternal afterlife, then why don't you kill yourself?

    Such a hypocrite.
    truth. his statement makes no sense to me
  • chicago510
    sleeper;1157303 wrote:If all you are interested in is eternal afterlife, then why don't you kill yourself?

    Such a hypocrite.
    Exactly. I'm all about what I do with my life 24/7 to make life better for me and others, not what I do on Sundays or what happens to me after I die (hint: decomposition)
    Heretic;1156853 wrote:Never really believed. I've gone to a couple churches in my life as part of "maintaining appearances" with family or relationships, but never had any moment where I felt...anything. Neither with the "we wuv everyone; c'mon in!" style of Methodists or the "you have to adhere to a strict code at all times" style of the Witnesses. Some people I've talked to are devout in their faith and others, I get the idea that church-type stuff is more an obligation they "should" do for whatever reason. Never felt like the first group and being like the second is a waste of my time.

    I can believe in the possibility of A higher power. I don't know how stuff got created or any of that. One explanation is as good as another, I guess. Where I have the problem is...we're one planet of millions and millions; we've had thousands of gods in hundreds of religions over time; we still have a good number of faiths; the one that people on this site claim is "the one" has many, many branches and spin-offs which all have their differences in how they teach they word. Apparently the concept of "having faith" is essentially the same as being blindfolded and reaching into a big jar of M&Ms to grab the one and only green one.
    I was going to type an answer to this thread, then I read this and just nodded the whole way through. Well said.
  • Skyhook79
    Heretic;1156853 wrote:Never really believed. I've gone to a couple churches in my life as part of "maintaining appearances" with family or relationships, but never had any moment where I felt...anything. Neither with the "we wuv everyone; c'mon in!" style of Methodists or the "you have to adhere to a strict code at all times" style of the Witnesses. Some people I've talked to are devout in their faith and others, I get the idea that church-type stuff is more an obligation they "should" do for whatever reason. Never felt like the first group and being like the second is a waste of my time.

    I can believe in the possibility of A higher power. I don't know how stuff got created or any of that. One explanation is as good as another, I guess. Where I have the problem is...we're one planet of millions and millions; we've had thousands of gods in hundreds of religions over time; we still have a good number of faiths; the one that people on this site claim is "the one" has many, many branches and spin-offs which all have their differences in how they teach they word. Apparently the concept of "having faith" is essentially the same as being blindfolded and reaching into a big jar of M&Ms to grab the one and only green one.
    That might be your concept but it's not mine. But your entitled to your opinion.
  • Laley23
    Never believed in any of it. Never really thought to or thought I was doing anything wrong by not believing. I am not a dick. I am nice to people because its the right thing to do. Ive never needed a God or the thought that I need to be good to make it to Heaven. I just do it to do it. I think people who do right because they are afraid of the consequences are scared and gutless.

    Not to mention, when I die, I am either going to decompose (what I believe) or be subject to judge on my afterlife. At that point, I would like to think I would be going to Heaven anyway...because like I said before, Im not a dick.
  • I Wear Pants
    Laley23;1157329 wrote:Never believed in any of it. Never really thought to or thought I was doing anything wrong by not believing. I am not a dick. I am nice to people because its the right thing to do. Ive never needed a God or the thought that I need to be good to make it to Heaven. I just do it to do it. I think people who do right because they are afraid of the consequences are scared and gutless.

    Not to mention, when I die, I am either going to decompose (what I believe) or be subject to judge on my afterlife. At that point, I would like to think I would be going to Heaven anyway...because like I said before, Im not a dick.
    According to Christianity you will suffer for all eternity not because you were a dick but because you don't agree with everything the Bible says.

    I don't think I'd want to hang out with the Christian god anyway.
  • Mooney44Cards
    Basically, the more educated I got, the more I began to think analytically. The more analytical you think, the less likely you are to believe.

    http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/04/29/analytic-thinking-affects-religious-belief/37999.html
  • 2kool4skool
    Footwedge;1157273 wrote:Until someone can explain to me how the ball got rolling in the first place from a physiological view, I will always believe in a Supreme Being.

    If that day comes, I will immediately commit suicide, because if no eternal afterlife, there is really no purpose in being here.